Login security breaches have become commonplace in recent years. We hear about phishing attacks, stolen passwords and malware that collects all of our keystrokes. Once these data breaches would have instigated a call to use stronger and more complex passwords, however research has shown that two-thirds of all breaches are specifically the result of weak or stolen passwords. The one-time reliable password has become the weakest link. This is where two-factor authentication (2FA) steps in. Two-factor authentication is a simple yet an extremely powerful way of increasing security via the user logon sequence by simply adding a second factor of authentication to the standard username and password.

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Login security breaches have become
commonplace in recent years.
Phishing attacksMalware that collects
all of your keystrokes
Account Hacked
Your account has been
broken into and hacked
42%
Stolen passwords

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However... research has shown that
2/3 of all breaches are specifically the
result of weak or stolen passwords.
The once reliable password has become the
weakest link.

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Two-factor authentication is a simple, yet
powerful way of increasing securityvia
the user login sequence, by simply adding
a second factor of authentication to the
standard username and password.

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To fullyunderstand the poweroftwo-factor
authentication,we need to have a basic
understanding ofauthentication itself.
Authentication - the process ofverifyingyour
identity- boils down to 3 simple elements:
Something the user owns
(mobile phone, device)
42%
Something the user is
(biometric, retina, fingerprint)
Something the user knows
(PIN, password)

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Two-factor authentication is a
combination of 2 of any of these unique
identifiers and frequently includes
information about something the user
owns and something the user knows.

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The use of biometric information is
less common since fingerprint or retina
recognition software is expensive and
difficult to implement.

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With two-factor authentication, the
login sequence requires a password
and an authentication code which is
sent directly to the user’s device.
42%
3458

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Although incredibly simple, incorporating
these two separate identifiers in the
user login process, creates a level of
protection and security for the user that
even the most complex password can no
longer allow.

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The brilliance of two-factor
authentication is that it provides a
seamless and cost effective solution
by simply leveraging something the
user already has.

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So this is good news for online security
but what are the other benefits?

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Using two-factor authentication not only
adds an extra layer of protection to your
accounts but also acts as a deterrent.
Although an attacker may be
able to compromise one layer of
your authentication, it is incredibly
difficult to compromise both.
An attacker is far more likely to
move to an easier target with
just one layer of authentication to
login credentials.

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With two-factor authentication, the risk
of your data being breached is less,
even if you are subject to an attack
Once you are also using
something you have or
something you are, as
additional layers in your
authentication process, your
identity and data should be
safe even if passwords or
other personal data have
been exposed in an attack

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Two-factor authentication has the
added advantage of alerting you to
unauthorized attempts to access your
account, for example, receiving a text
message with a passcode when you
aren’t using your account.